Successful 2018 relaunch of the popular pet-friendly event created new demand and a new focus on feeding pets in need.

St. Charles, MO – The St. Louis Pet Expo has entered into a five-year partnership with the Olympia Athletics & Events Centre in St. Charles, providing a new home and 50,000 square feet of space for the Midwest’s largest pet-centered event. In addition to being the new home of the Pet Expo, Olympia will host both a spring and a fall version of the event, with the first installment of the spring show launching in March of 2019.

“For our first eight years, we were asked after every show about adding an event in the spring, both by vendors and attendees” says William RIlenge of the Pet Expo. “When we lost a year of the event due to some adversity that we had to overcome, we were not sure how things would end up. But we had a great response to our comeback event last fall, and great feedback about the venue, so the demand has returned.”

A new focus of the Pet Expo is the “Feed the Pets” initiative, where pet food items are collected at the event for distribution among area rescues and shelters. “We collected nearly three thousand pounds of pet food at the 2018 event, and that was in one day and coming off a year where we did not hold the show” says Rilenge. “Going back to our two-day format, plus adding the spring date, we anticipate a tremendous increase in the amount of pet food we can collect.

The Olympia Athletics & Events Centre is a sports and entertainment arena located in Historic Downtown St. Charles, MO along the Missouri River and hosts everything from wresting and volleyball tournaments to trade shows and family events.

“When we first looked at Olympia it was as if the building was designed for hosting the Pet Expo” explains Rilenge. “Smooth floors, lots of space for people and pets, an area with turf flooring for agility and lure coursing, outdoor space for our potty area, full concessions, lots of parking. It was incredible. It gives us the opportunity to add features and grow the event each year”.

The Spring edition (and tenth year) of the St. Louis Pet Expo will be held Saturday & Sunday, March 23 & 24th 2019. The Fall Expo will take place November 2nd & 3rd, 2019.

Both dates will include popular staples like agility, lure coursing, free nail trims, discounted vaccinations, a pet costume contest and a large adoption area showcasing pets in need of a forever home, plus new features like flyball, doxie derbies and more.

Parking will be free for both events, and admission will be deeply discounted with the donation of a pet food item.

More information and updates are available on the St. Louis Pet Expo website at www.StlPetExpo.com

Information about the Olympia Athletics & Events Centre, including upcoming events and rental information, is available at www.OlympiaAthletics.com

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Media contacts:

William Rilenge St. Louis Pet Expo 314-667-4431

Aaron Wagner Olympia Athletics & Events Center 636-329-4949

Have a question about the expo? Visit our Facebook page.We'll be answering your inquiries right up until showtime on Saturday!